London: A rare total lunar eclipse, commonly known as a ‘blood moon,’ will be visible from the UK on September 8th night for the first time since 2022. During the event, the moon is expected to take on a deep, dark red color as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface.
According to the Met Office, the reddish hue occurs because sunlight is filtered and bent through the Earth’s atmosphere by refraction. Blue light is scattered, allowing red wavelengths to reach the moon. The eclipse will be visible at around 7:30 pm, with the peak in the UK at 7:33 pm, in locations with clear views of the eastern horizon.
Observers in built-up areas may need to move to a hill or elevated position for optimal viewing. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye, as the reflected moonlight is not intense.
On the night of the 7th September there will be a lunar eclipse, visible across the UK! The moon will appear a deep red colour from moonrise at 19:30 BST, with the eclipse finishing at 21:55 BST. 🌕
Credit: NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center pic.twitter.com/TQPSImTqXh
— Royal Observatory Greenwich (@ROGAstronomers) September 5, 2025
Smart viewing advice comes from Dr. Ed Bloomer, Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, who said that the moon will rise over the UK in time for the tail end of the eclipse. Dr. Bloomer advised facing the east and finding an unobstructed horizon.
The moon will move southward over the night, and a flat or elevated landscape provides the best visibility. The Astronomer also highlighted that lunar eclipses are a great educational opportunity for children, as minute-by-minute changes in the moon’s appearance can be easily observed.
The Met Office recommended checking local weather forecasts, noting that the clearest skies are likely across south-west and parts of eastern England. Globally, the eclipse will also be visible in Australia, China, India, the Philippines, and parts of Africa, while most of North and South America will miss the event, being on the sunlit side of the planet. The next partial lunar eclipse visible in the UK is expected in August 2026.
Blood moon and superstition
Historically, blood moons have inspired awe and superstition. Civilizations from Norse and South American to Native American and Chinese cultures interpreted the red moon as a sign of divine anger or supernatural conflict.
Biblical texts also reference blood moons, warning that “the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and terrible day.”
This rare astronomical event offers a unique opportunity for skywatchers in the UK and around the world to witness one of nature’s most striking lunar phenomena.
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